Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

ABM treaty walkout a victory for US unilateralists
AT ^ | 12/16/01 | Jim Lobe

Posted on 12/16/2001 6:32:43 AM PST by Enemy Of The State

ABM treaty walkout a victory for US unilateralists
By Jim Lobe

WASHINGTON - Thursday's announcement that the United States is withdrawing from the 1972 Anti-Ballistic Missile (ABM) treaty marks the biggest victory yet for the unilateralist wing of the US administration and the biggest defeat for its beleaguered multilateralists, clustered behind Secretary of State Colin Powell.

President George W Bush's announcement sets the stage for the development and deployment of a national missile defense (NMD) system. It has long been a top priority for the US extreme right, which tried to scuttle the ABM treaty even as then president Richard Nixon was negotiating it.

The move follows a string of unilateralist actions - ranging from the abandonment of the Kyoto Protocol on global warming to gutting the United Nations Conference on Small Arms - since Bush's administration took office 11 months ago.

"President Bush is doing his best impression of Scrooge, telling the rest of the world 'Bah humbug,'" said John Isaacs, president of the Council for a Livable World, who warned that Washington's action will encourage other countries to spurn their international obligations in pursuit of narrow national interests. "Unilateralism harms US standing and credibility in the world," said Isaacs. "When we need the rest of the world to cooperate in the war on terrorism, stem proliferation, enforce sanctions on law-breaking countries, prevent environmental degradation from spreading across borders, limit the flow of refugees, the rest of the world may tell the US, 'Bah humbug.'"

The announcement itself came as little surprise. Bush had made NMD one of his top campaign pledges and has spent much of his time in office warning that the United States was determined to go ahead with or without the acquiescence of Russia and other powers. When he and Russian President Vladimir Putin, who met last month at Bush's ranch in the US state of Texas, proved unable to work out an agreement to amend the ABM treaty so Washington could pursue NMD, US officials warned that they were likely to move ahead anyway.

A last-minute effort by Powell, who has long been skeptical of the wisdom of an NMD system, to negotiate an accord in Moscow last week proved fruitless.

"I have concluded the ABM treaty hinders our government's ability to develop ways to protect our people from future terrorist or rogue-state missile attacks," said Bush, who was flanked by Powell, in a brief appearance in the White House Rose Garden. "Defending the American people is my highest priority as commander in chief and I cannot and will not allow the United States to remain in a treaty that prevents us from developing effective defenses," he declared.

NMD supporters in the administration reportedly decided to act now not only because of Putin's refusal to amend the ABM treaty in a way that Washington wanted but also because public opinion has been much more favorable to NMD - and to Bush himself - since the September 11 terrorist attacks in New York and at the Pentagon. According to one recent poll, support for immediate NMD deployment, still far beyond the Pentagon's technological capacities, rose from 14 percent last summer to about 50 percent after September 11. The increase was particularly marked among women. "This was a calculated political maneuver," said one Democratic congressional aide who opposes NMD.

Others, however, argued that the timing was likely to raise serious problems with US allies in its "war against terrorism", beginning with Russia and China.

"It shows that despite the willingness to help the United States and to cultivate long-term international stability, the US will retain a narrow view of its own interests and ignore the legitimate security needs of its partners," said J Peter Scoblic, editor of Arms Control Today, a monthly published by the Arms Control Association. Scoblic warned that Russia and China might not only curb their cooperation with Washington's anti-terrorist efforts but also react by building up their own nuclear arsenals and blocking non-proliferation efforts against precisely those "rogue states" that Bush hopes to defend against.

His view has backing from the US intelligence community, which reportedly warned in a 2000 study that Washington's abandonment of the ABM treaty and deployment of an NMD system would spur Beijing to expand quickly its current force of only about two dozen intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) to a far more massive arsenal capable of overwhelming any NMD that Washington could build with existing or over-the-horizon technologies. Moreover, any build-up by Beijing of its strategic forces likely would set off arms races in both East Asia and South Asia, if not beyond into the Middle East and Russia, according to the intelligence study.

"Unilateral withdrawal will likely lead to an action-reaction cycle in offensive and defensive technologies, including countermeasures, and that kind of arms race would not make us more secure," Carl Levin, chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, told the Los Angeles Times this week.

Negative results also may play out within the Kremlin and among European allies who have voiced growing frustration that Washington has ignored their advice in the war against Afghanistan. "Russians were beginning to believe they could have a strategic partnership with America, and now this happens," said Vladimir Lukin, a former Russian ambassador to Washington and now a top foreign-policy figure in the Duma. "The US has shown that it will always do exactly what it wants, whenever it wants, without ever taking our opinion into account."

Arms-control groups here stress that there was no practical need for Washington to withdraw now. "Complete testing of the centerpiece of the administration's missile defense program - the Ground-based Midcourse system - is allowed under the ABM Treaty," noted the Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS). Other types of missile defense systems are still in the early stages of research, it said, adding that "there is no compelling technical reason to conduct any tests that would violate the treaty".

"The ideologues within the administration - the same group that last week helped scuttle the Geneva conference to review and strengthen the Biological Weapons Convention - have won another battle to destroy arms control and permit the United States to act unilaterally abroad against the views of the rest of the world," said Isaacs.


TOPICS: Editorial; Foreign Affairs
KEYWORDS:
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-25 next last

1 posted on 12/16/2001 6:32:43 AM PST by Enemy Of The State
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | View Replies]

To: Enemy Of The State
"President Bush is doing his best impression of Scrooge, telling the rest of the world 'Bah humbug,'" said John Isaacs, president of the Council for a Livable World,...

What is this outfit?

Another letterhead with a fax machine!

2 posted on 12/16/2001 6:45:58 AM PST by facedown
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: facedown
"Another letterhead with a fax machine!"

Lol..yep must be another fly-by-night..

3 posted on 12/16/2001 6:48:51 AM PST by Enemy Of The State
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: Enemy Of The State
Tom Brokaw began his news broadcast the other night by saying that Bush "announced his intention to break a 30 year old treaty with the country of Russian." Excuse me, Tom, the treaty was with the U.S.S.R. Are treaties with the Confederate States of America still valid? Moscow violated the agreement before the U.S.S.R. split up anyway by installing a crude ABM system around the Kremlin anyway. Countries like China are pitching a fit, because it will make it harder for them to succeed in a potential first strike against the U.S. If Ahab and Jezebel hadn't given away the miltary secret store to China, it might not have been as necessary to pull out.
4 posted on 12/16/2001 6:49:59 AM PST by razorbak
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: razorbak
Moscow violated the agreement before the U.S.S.R. split up anyway by installing a crude ABM system around the Kremlin

not true

the treaty entitled each side to protect one major city, it was assumed we would shield d.c., but we chose not to

we can thank putin for being obstinate enough to not agree to some stop-gap measure which would have necessitated one renegotiation after another

much better that it was just junked

5 posted on 12/16/2001 7:07:11 AM PST by AntiScumbag
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 4 | View Replies]

To: Enemy Of The State
On the one hand the liberals say that Missle Defense won't work. On the other hand they say that it will spark a new arms race. Why would it spark a new arms race if everyone thought it wouldn't work?
6 posted on 12/16/2001 7:10:21 AM PST by Rodney King
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Enemy Of The State
The treaty was with the USSR, which we are told no longer exists....which makes the treaty null and void.
7 posted on 12/16/2001 7:15:49 AM PST by RasterMaster
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Enemy Of The State
Negative results also may play out within the Kremlin and among European allies who have voiced growing frustration that Washington has ignored their advice in the war against Afghanistan.

And in other unrelated news, the war with Afghanistan against terrorist is reaching its successful conclusion, no news at 11.

8 posted on 12/16/2001 7:24:19 AM PST by xinga
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Enemy Of The State
A treaty made with a Nation and a doctrine that no longer exists for them or us is just plain stupid. It does nothing for anybody anymore.
9 posted on 12/16/2001 7:25:00 AM PST by wingnuts'nbolts
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Enemy Of The State
Long live US "unilateralism." I believe that the FIRST guiding principle of our foreigh policy must be to do what is in US interests. If that sometimes means working with other countries, so be it. But this idea that somehow we ought to work against American interests to support some hare-brained concept of "multi-lateralism" for its own sake is worse than totally brainless -- and worse.

As my mother might have said: "If all the other countries in the workd want to jump off the top of the UN building, does that mean that we have to do it too?"

10 posted on 12/16/2001 7:27:50 AM PST by Maceman
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: wingnuts'nbolts
True. So what the liberals and the Eurotrash Left are opposed to our decision to withdraw from a defunct agreement. Heck I'd love to see the Rats run against a strong national defense next year. We'll see how far THAT gets them at the polls. The fact is as the world's first hyperpower we can do pretty much what we want. We're King Of The Planet. Al Qaeda tried to dethrone us but all they scored where a couple of nicks in some buildings. And now we're squashing them like a bug. Trust me no one's gonna try us like we were tried on Sept. 11th EVER again.
11 posted on 12/16/2001 7:35:41 AM PST by goldstategop
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 9 | View Replies]

To: Enemy Of The State
In 1972 there was 2 countries who had Nuclear Missiles, we now have 28 countries that have them. All these handwringers need to take the blinders off and open their eyes to the real world. Are we gonna wait until we are attacked before we do something about the threat of nuclear missiles.

personally I think we should build and deploy orbiting space bombers with anti-ballistic capabilities that will destroy nuclear missiles as they are launched. This would render nuclear missiles useless and to dangerous to the host country who tries to launch them. If we put 15 or 20 space shuttle type vehicles in orbit traveling at 17,000 MPH, 145 miles above the planet, with the capability of detecting a missile launch and the ability to destroy these missiles shortly after they are launched. END OF NUCLEAR THREAT

12 posted on 12/16/2001 7:36:28 AM PST by MJY1288
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Enemy Of The State
Ahhhhh, the libs have a new, and in their alleged minds thoroughly dirty word, to throw at Bush for a few weeks: unilateralist. I think I've heard it used about 5 times already today.
13 posted on 12/16/2001 7:58:46 AM PST by yikes
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: yikes
unilateralist. I think I've heard it used about 5 times already today.

Yeah, me too...and I LIKE IT.

FMCDH

14 posted on 12/16/2001 9:17:12 AM PST by nothingnew
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 13 | View Replies]

To: goldstategop
It works for me!!!!
15 posted on 12/16/2001 9:40:42 AM PST by wingnuts'nbolts
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 11 | View Replies]

To: Enemy Of The State
There's an 800 pound gorilla in the room that Russian Cold Warriors cannot explain away -- Russian objections about the U.S. developing defenses, especially when the U.S. is making unilateral cuts in its nuclear arsenal, suggest there are substantial numbers of people in Russia's power circles that think their interests might require a nuclear strike against us at some point. Since our militaries do not stand face to face over a militarized border anymore, this suggests that Moscow, not Washington (despite Russian bull**** about Kosovo possibly leading to nuclear war, etc. etc.) in terms of possible offensive action.

If the don't plan on nuking us, they shouldn't care about our defenses. We don't have any military force stationed anywhere that would be capable of invading Russia. All this talk about the U.S. undermining traditional security arrangements is just stockpiled propaganda that has no more place in today's geopolitical environment than a Model T has in the Indy 500.

16 posted on 12/16/2001 10:13:16 AM PST by American Soldier
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Enemy Of The State
Could someone explain, once and for all, what "unilateral" is supposed to mean in this context?

The government of a country exists to protect the rights and security of the people in that country. The people in that government make decisions. Then some Eurotrash intellectual comes along and says, "You're acting unilaterally!" Uh, yeah, so??

What are we supposed to do, give other countries veto power over our national security policy?

I just don't get it. Why wouldn't a country be "unilateral"?

17 posted on 12/16/2001 10:22:15 AM PST by Dr. Frank fan
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: RasterMaster
are you guys that ignorant, the russian federation took over treaty obligations!

than i guess all START treaties are null and void!

please stop with the ignorant responses!

18 posted on 12/16/2001 10:34:25 AM PST by oxi-nato
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 7 | View Replies]

To: American Soldier
then explain to me why nato is so bent on expanding its alliance where there is no credible enemy out there?
19 posted on 12/16/2001 10:36:09 AM PST by oxi-nato
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 16 | View Replies]

To: oxi-nato
Why don't you ask the Poles who were knocking at our door? These countries NEVER had credible security infrastructures, even before World War One, as you should well know. Warsaw Pact falls apart, Russia still unstable as hell and under the spell of too many Soviet apologists and KGB types - that's a formula for an expanding NATO. Russia is more than welcome to join. And I will point out that when Reagan (yes, the Russians have had THAT LONG to get used to this idea!) announced we'd go forward with missile defense, as I recall, he offered to share it with Russia! Case closed.
20 posted on 12/16/2001 10:50:14 AM PST by American Soldier
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 19 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-25 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson